Con men use fake diamond to steal $600 in Palo Alto

A local woman was taken in Thursday afternoon by two con men who preyed on her desire for quick cash but ended up stealing $600 from her, police said.

The victim, a middle-aged woman who works at a downtown Palo Alto restaurant, was cashing a check at Bank of America on Cowper Street at about 3 p.m. when a man in his 20s struck up a conversation by asking for directions, police Agent Dan Ryan said. As they were talking, a man in his 50s approached the younger man, talking excitedly about a diamond he hoped to buy from him.

The two men acted as though they had met just minutes before, Ryan said. Both spoke Spanish, as did the woman.

As the woman listened, the buyer pretended to be broken-hearted that he didn't have enough money to capitalize on the seller's seemingly low-priced offer. He then turned to the woman, asking if she would go in on the purchase with him. At such an incredible price, he assured her, they could immediately sell the gem and split the profits.

At some point, Ryan said, the seller talked the woman into getting into her car to further discuss the deal. Meanwhile, the older man continued to play his part, running off once to make sure the diamond was authentic and again to retrieve all the money he could.

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When the woman balked, saying she didn't have enough money, the younger man turned up the pressure, saying he was desperate to get some cash right away and would take far less than the diamond was worth. Eventually, Ryan said, the woman took out the cash she had withdrawn to show the seller that it was all she had.

"He reaches out, grabs the money, throws the plastic diamond at her and leaves," Ryan said.

With the seller gone, the woman waited several more minutes for the buyer to return before realizing he probably wasn't coming back either, Ryan said. She took the fake diamond to a jeweler on University Avenue and found out it was worth no more than $10. By the time she called police it was after 4 p.m.

Ryan said the crime started out as a "classic con game" but ended up as grand theft.

"They just took the money out of her hands," he said. "They didn't give her a choice."

The younger suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his 20s, just over 5 feet tall and heavyset, with a medium complexion, blue striped shirt and a blue ball cap with the logo of the Mexican soccer club America.

The older suspect was in his 50s and about 5-foot-11, with a medium build, brown jacket and dark pants. He was cleanshaven, and his head was either bald or shaved.

Ryan said the woman's sad tale should serve as a warning to others.

"If something sounds too good to be true, your hairs should stand up on the back of your neck," Ryan said. "Sometimes an easy dollar can get in the way of common sense."